Dear Jack: 2015 Toyota Avalon Road Trip to Natchez Parkway Bridge/Butterfly Funeral

4 years, 9 months.

Dear Jack: 2015 Toyota Avalon Road Trip to Natchez Parkway Bridge/Butterfly Funeral

Dear Jack,

For this past week our family was given a 2015 Toyota Avalon XLE Touring Sport Edition to review as a family.

Dear Jack: 2015 Toyota Avalon Road Trip to Natchez Parkway Bridge/Butterfly Funeral

With us having just got back to Tennessee from our annual family vacation in Sacramento, where we reviewed a 2015 Toyota Camry, we decided to lay low this week.

Yet still, Saturday we managed to travel to midtown Nashville to visit the all new Baby+Co.; a spa-like place to give birth, sans the epidural.

Baby+Co. 10 FAQs & Walk Around Video (Nashville Location)

Then on Sunday we decided to trek to Franklin to see the iconic Natchez Parkway Bridge. You nor Mommy had ever been there; whereas I had last summer when I reviewed the 2015 Lexus NX.

While I had the camera rolling as you used the parking lot curb as a balance beam, you stopped in your tracks as you discovered a butterfly that had breathed its final breath.

Dear Jack: 2015 Toyota Avalon Road Trip to Natchez Parkway Bridge/Butterfly Funeral

You were inspired to give it a proper (yet impromptu) funeral, so we did.

As we were getting ready to leave, after taking some family pictures, you were concerned:

“Where is the food? I thought there were nachos?”

I explained that the name of the place we were at was “Natchez”, not nachos.

Dear Jack: 2015 Toyota Avalon Road Trip to Natchez Parkway Bridge/Butterfly Funeral

We are a family who essentially never goes out to eat; not only because we are vegan/vegetarian and our options are extremely limited, but also because we are Dave Ramsey followers and it’s difficult to justify weekly restaurant money when it could be going to our “new car” fund.

Dear Jack: 2015 Toyota Avalon Road Trip to Natchez Parkway Bridge/Butterfly Funeral

However, you apparently caught Mommy and me at the perfect moment, because on the drive home Mommy discretely asked me, “Is there somewhere on the way home we might want to stop for lunch?”

Granted, I was happy to oblige; it would save me from dish duty.

Dear Jack: 2015 Toyota Avalon Road Trip to Natchez Parkway Bridge/Butterfly Funeral

We saw a Chili’s coming up on the right. Mommy told me that she recently went to a Chili’s with Grandma and your Aunt Jenny while we were on vacation, and she was surprised how accommodating they were to her vegetarian lifestyle.

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So we turned into the Chili’s parking lot. They were so accommodating to my vegan and your and Mommy’s vegetarian requirements, that they actually had a whole page for “dietary restrictions” on their kiosk on the table.

Dear Jack: 2015 Toyota Avalon Road Trip to Natchez Parkway Bridge/Butterfly Funeral

I’ll keep that in mind the next time we’re on a road trip…

Of course, I made a fun video about all this so you could see it all; along with my super catch jingle I made up, “Come along, in an Avalon…”

You and I also made a walk around video for the Avalon…

And of course I made a video for your 1st day of Pre-K, which also featured the car as well…

So it looks like even on a “lay low” week, we still managed to have a lot of fun!

Dear Jack: 2015 Toyota Avalon Road Trip to Natchez Parkway Bridge/Butterfly Funeral

Dear Jack: 2015 Toyota Avalon Road Trip to Natchez Parkway Bridge/Butterfly Funeral

Dear Jack: 2015 Toyota Avalon Road Trip to Natchez Parkway Bridge/Butterfly Funeral

Dear Jack: 2015 Toyota Avalon Road Trip to Natchez Parkway Bridge/Butterfly Funeral

Dear Jack: 2015 Toyota Avalon Road Trip to Natchez Parkway Bridge/Butterfly Funeral

2014 Toyota Avalon: Family Friendly Car Review

I am very excited to get to do a review on a Toyota Avalon again this week! Last year I reviewed the 2013 Avalon Hybrid, so I already knew how much I was going to love the 2014 version.

2014 Toyota Avalon car review

Before becoming familiar with the Avalon myself, I never realized what an “easy to love” kind of car it really is. There’s no thinking required in regards to “How does it handle?” or anything like that.

You just get in it and you drive. And you don’t think about the car. You just become one with the Avalon.

If you’re considering test driving a full-size car, I would recommend starting with the Avalon. I have test driven and reviewed many cars by now, and I can tell you, there’s something special about the way this car drives; incredibly smooth and natural.

http://www.edmunds.com/toyota/avalon/2014/price.html?sub=sedan&zip=37013

And I’m not the only one to rave about the Avalon. If you’ve got the budget for a car like this, and you’re looking for a car this size, I would say start with Avalon- let it be the car to beat.

I would like to close with some stats on the car.

Standard Equipment:

3.5L 268 HP DOHC 24V w/Dual VVT -i

6-Speed ECT -i A/T w/Paddle Shifters

Government 5-Star Star Safety Ratings:

Overall Vehicle Score: 5

Frontal Crash Driver: 4

Frontal Crash Passenger: 5

Side Crash Front Seat: 5

Side Crash Rear Seat: 5

Rollover: 4

Family Friendly Car Review

Fuel Economy and Price:

24 MPG combined (21 city, 31 highway)

Annual fuel cost: $2,200.

Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price: $39,650.00

Fully Loaded, As Seen: $42,785.00.

2014 Toyota Avalon review

So there’s a sneak peak at one of my favorite Toyotas: the 2014 Avalon.

My next family friendly car review will be on the 2014 Toyota Highlander, as I will be travelling from Sacramento to Lake Tahoe and back.

I’m guessing it will be pretty cool…